Snowshoe Wolf Creek Trail

To end our honeymoon, my wife and I sought out the best hike available in early April. And the Olympic National Park Rangers and kind folks at Brown's Outdoor didn't disappoint.

To tackle the Wolf Creek Trail, you start by winding up Whiskey Bend Road just outside of Port Angeles, falling the curves and hills of Elwha River. The peaks of the Olympic Mountains stand in the distance.

Once you approaching a clearing and small parking area, you grab the gear and hit the trail. The trailhead starts at around 1,200 feet and, if the season allows for it, finishes at 5,100ft. For us it was the first weekend of April, so days are short and snow is thick. We rented snowshoes from Browns Outdoor in Port Angeles and packed them in the bag. On our trip, Whiskey Bend was just reopened after two years, so the trail and snow were completely untouched.

For a time, we hiked about 6 miles, up to the 4,000ft mark and turned around before we lost daylight. At around 3,000ft we had to grab the snowshoes to get through the feet of snow. Wolf Creek, which the trail winds around, was still passable by frozen snow bridges left from the winter's snowfall. Made for a beautiful hike and end to a honeymoon in Seattle/Olympic National Park.

This hike isn't really available in the winter, as there is fresh snowfall and roads/ access are closed. If you want to make it a one way and leave a car at the Visitor Center of Hurricane Ridge, your best bet is something later in the spring and the summer/ fall months. When we were there on April 1, the road was still completely closed to access the Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center. Once you hit summer months, the snow will be melted and it won't be snowshoe-able, though it would still be a great hike.

Community Photos

We want to acknowledge and thank the past, present, and future generations of all Native Nations and Indigenous Peoples whose ancestral lands we travel, explore, and play on. Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!